JABAR EKSPRES — The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) Tokyo has urged Indonesian citizens to stay safe even though on May 8 the Japanese government will change the status of the pandemic to an endemic.

“This means that as much as possible we also continue to maintain so that each of us can maintain healthy interaction patterns. So that we can take care of ourselves and others,” Indonesian Deputy Ambassador to Japan John Tjahjanto Boestami said when met in Tokyo on Thursday.

He added that efforts to protect themselves can be done by continuing to apply health protocols, namely washing hands, wearing masks and maintaining social distance.

The Japanese government has removed the obligation to wear masks since March 13 after three years of implementation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, most Japanese and other citizens still wear masks indoors and outdoors.

“It is also seen that many are no longer wearing masks, but there are still those who wear masks,” he said.

Starting May 8, 2023, the Japanese government will stop border tightening measures and consider COVID-19 as a common disease in order to normalize social and economic activities.

The policy is also aimed at restoring tourism by bringing in more visitors who were drastically reduced during the pandemic.

According to Japan Immigration data, the number of visitors to Japan through 2023 rose 15-fold to 3.83 million compared to last year after the relaxation of travel requirements.

However, that figure is still 88 percent lower than the pre-pandemic record of 31.88 million visitors in 2019.

The most travelers came from South Korea with 1.01 million, followed by Taiwan with 331,100, the United States with 323,500 and Vietnam with 284,100.